Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS) is located in Kyoto, Japan's political and cultural capital in ancient times. The university offers a variety of activities that utilize the location of Kyoto, including classes for learning Kyoto's traditional cultures and club activities in which students guide foreign tourists around Kyoto as interpreter-guides. Kyoto is home to temples, shrines, and castles that have been designated World Heritage Sites, as well as many museums and art galleries. With many traditional festivals and rituals held throughout the year, Kyoto offers a wealth of opportunities to experience Japanese culture firsthand.
The "Faculty of Global Engagement" was established in April 2018 on three pillars of education: languages, liberal arts, and community engagement. As globalization continues to advance, we are entering an era in which people, goods and currency will all freely pass across international borders. Further, the world is facing brand new issues never faced before. In order to gain the ability to behave and act in such a society, we produce "Changemakers" who can solve problems, with Community Engagement (collaboration and cooperation with regional communities) as our core philosophy.
Community Engagement Programs connect students, teachers, and staff with local and global communities in projects aimed at learning about community building and ways of solving problems. We strive to go beyond standard practical training and apply our classroom learning in the real world. The challenges we face in making the world a better place for all people are many and are constantly changing, but we will keep on trying and move forward - one step at a time.
Through the formal courses offered by the department, international students learn how to communicate in correct Japanese through studying with other Japanese students. By exploring in depth different aspects of Japanese culture from traditional to modern, students learn that culture continues to create new values and meaning in an expansive and profound manner. International students deepen their understanding of Japan through learning and interacting with Japanese students, who, in turn, relearn their native language as their area of specialization.
The university offers extensive Japanese language and culture education for international students, including Japanese classes at nine levels as well as hands-on classes on tea ceremony, flower arrangement, garden design and architecture of Japan, kyogen, and calligraphy in which they can experience Japanese culture firsthand. International students can also improve their Japanese skills while experiencing Japanese culture through study tours and exchange with Japanese students. Through the course, they can acquire not only the Japanese proficiency required to study at a Japanese university or graduate school, but also knowledge indispensable for living and studying in Japan.
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